Different systems have been used to ease construction of wood flooring; however, most of them present some deficiency especially in relation to engaging thin laminate “floating floor” surfaces. Traditional wood floors, which are joined by means of glued tongue-and-groove joints, wood floor panels have recently been developed which do not require the use of glue and instead are joined mechanically by means of so-called mechanical joint systems. These systems contain locking means which lock the panels horizontally and vertically. Typically, manufacturers of laminate flooring panels have produced flooring products that contain both a tongue and a groove profile within the same flooring panel. The tongue profile is machined into one side and one end of the panel with the groove being machined into the opposite side and end of the same panel. The mechanical joint systems can be made by machining the core of a panel. One exemplary locking device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,709 B2. Alternatively, parts of the locking system can be made of a separate material which is integrated with the floor panel, i.e. joined with the floor panel even in connection with the production thereof.
Besides the locking means provided by the flooring panels, the adjacent panels are further secured by locking devices. The locking device typically is a strip with salient features that engages the locking device onto two adjacent flooring panels. One exemplary locking device is disclosed by the same U.S. patent cited above.
Normally, one or more locking devices are affixed first onto a floor panel and the tongue of a second flooring panel is inserted into the groove of a second flooring panel. The second flooring panel is further secured in its place by the locking device. The insertion of the tongue in the groove forms a lock.
However, the lock between two adjacent flooring panels sometime becomes “loose,” allowing some movement between the two flooring panels. The movement between the adjacent flooring panels generates squeaking sound and it is hard to eliminate. The lock also requires precision milling for the lock works properly and small deformation of flooring panel after milling will render the lock and locking device unusable.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus that reduces relative movement between two adjacent flooring boards and simplifies flooring board manufacturing process, and it is to this apparatus the present invention is primarily directed to.